"Senior Sikong, what exactly is going on?" Chu Feng asked curiously.
"Chu Feng, you should know who Baili Xuankong is, right?" Sikong Zhaixing asked in return.
"Of course. Baili Xuankong was the first Sect Master of our Southern Forest of Qingmu — the founding ancestor who established the Southern Forest."
"Back in his day, he was a renowned powerhouse in the Qingmu Domain, and the Senior Brother of the Sect Master of Qingmu Mountain. He held an immensely high status on Qingmu Mountain, and it was precisely because he was entrusted by the Sect Master of Qingmu Mountain that he established the Southern Forest of Qingmu."
Chu Feng had learned a great deal about the Southern Forest of Qingmu in recent times, and the first Sect Master, Baili Xuankong, was without a doubt the most legendary figure in the Southern Forest's entire history — arguably the only one its disciples could truly take pride in, since every Sect Master who followed paled in comparison.
When Baili Xuankong was alive, the Southern Forest was the strongest among the Four Forests. The other three couldn't even begin to compare — the gap was simply too vast.
But after his death, the Southern Forest plummeted. Without the protection of that peerless powerhouse, each generation grew weaker than the last, and by now they had become so pathetic they were nothing but a laughingstock.
"Chu Feng, you're a clever boy — a sharp thinker. Have you ever considered that, given Sect Master Baili's strength and influence, even after his death the Southern Forest shouldn't have fallen so far? There must be some reason behind it, right?" Sikong Zhaixing asked.
"To be honest with you, Senior, I have indeed thought about it. After all, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Sect Master Baili was so powerful — the forces he left behind shouldn't have ended up like this," Chu Feng replied honestly.
"Exactly. Even if Sect Master Baili had genuinely wanted to develop the Southern Forest, and even if the location chosen for its establishment was poor, it still shouldn't have come to this."
"The reason the Southern Forest fell so far is that although Sect Master Baili was powerful, he left behind no inheritance and no particularly outstanding successors. When it came time to pass on the Sect Master's seat, he simply chose a random person to take over."
"I've even heard that before his death, he specifically instructed his friends that no matter how far the Southern Forest declined, they must not extend a helping hand — yet he also asked his friends not to let the Southern Forest perish. He even made a special request to the then-Sect Master of Qingmu Mountain that the Southern Forest must be allowed to continue existing, no matter what."
"That is why, after his death, the Southern Forest plummeted so drastically. Many powerhouses who had originally come because of Sect Master Baili's reputation all departed after his passing, and combined with his dying instructions, this is what created the Southern Forest's current wretched state."
"It still exists and carries on its lineage, but compared to its former glory, it is indeed pitifully wretched," Sikong Zhaixing said.
"There was such a thing? But why would Sect Master Baili do something like that?" Chu Feng looked utterly confused.
"Although Sect Master Baili never passed down any inheritance to the Southern Forest, he did leave something behind," Sikong Zhaixing said.
"What did he leave?" Chu Feng asked.
"You should know of the Yuhua Sect, right?" Sikong Zhaixing asked.
"I do. The Yuhua Sect, like the Canxing Observatory, is a first-rate subordinate force under Qingmu Mountain. And the Yuhua Sect is supposedly even more formidable than the Canxing Observatory — a first-rate power that can stand against the Eastern, Western, and Northern Forests," Chu Feng said.
"Our Sect Master Baili and the founding ancestor of the Yuhua Sect were close friends. Before his death, Sect Master Baili had a tower built within the Yuhua Sect, which he named the Tower of the Southern Forest."
"At the top of the Tower of the Southern Forest, he left behind a token. He made a pact with the founding ancestor of the Yuhua Sect: if anyone from the Southern Forest of Qingmu could ever retrieve that token, then the Yuhua Sect must form an alliance with the Southern Forest and share its fortunes through life and death."
"But the same pact also stated that if no one from the Southern Forest could retrieve the token, then the Yuhua Sect and the Southern Forest would be as strangers to one another — the Yuhua Sect must not help the Southern Forest," Sikong Zhaixing explained.
"So Sect Master Baili had already predicted that the Southern Forest would one day fall into decline," Chu Feng said, as if beginning to understand.
"Yes. That is why Sect Master Baili was a true visionary. He originally established the Southern Forest of Qingmu to await a peerless genius — someone who could influence the Holy Land of Martial Arts. You could say the entire Southern Forest was created for this one person."
"He could help this person, but he would not help the Southern Forest itself, nor would he develop it. That is why he never passed his knowledge to the Southern Forest's successors, why he forbade his friends from assisting the Southern Forest, yet insisted that it continue to exist — and why he made such a pact with his closest friend."
"His intentions were clear. He truly left nothing for the Southern Forest itself, but he left certain forms of assistance for the person he believed would eventually appear."
"Many people never understood why Sect Master Baili did what he did. I was one of them — I couldn't comprehend his purpose and even thought it was unnecessary. But now I understand, because I've come to believe what he said."
"He said the Southern Forest of Qingmu would wait for someone who could influence the Holy Land of Martial Arts. That would be the moment the Southern Forest's existence would find its meaning — the moment it would shine once more."
"And now, that person has appeared. It is you." Sikong Zhaixing gazed at Chu Feng, his eyes filled with complex emotions — a heavy sense of expectation, an immense burden of hope placed entirely upon Chu Feng's shoulders.
"Senior Sikong, you want to take me to the Yuhua Sect to retrieve the token from the Tower of the Southern Forest, so that the Yuhua Sect will ally with us and come to our aid?" Chu Feng had grasped Sikong Zhaixing's intentions.
"Yes. The Canxing Observatory's influence within Qingmu Mountain is considerable. Even with the rules of the mountain, if Yuan Qing wants to target you, you'll still suffer for it."
"However, if the Yuhua Sect is willing to shield you, that changes everything. Their influence within Qingmu Mountain is no less than the Canxing Observatory's — perhaps even a bit stronger," Sikong Zhaixing said.
"But Senior Sikong, so many years have passed. Can you be certain that the current Yuhua Sect will honor the pact their founding ancestor made with the first Sect Master of our Southern Forest?"
Chu Feng was somewhat worried. After all, the gap between the Southern Forest and the Yuhua Sect was enormous. The Yuhua Sect might not be willing to honor a verbal agreement made by their ancestor, especially since the person Chu Feng had offended was the Canxing Observatory.
"Actually, I can't be entirely certain they'll honor the pact. It has been so long, after all."
"But the Yuhua Sect is different from our Southern Forest. Starting from their founding ancestor, every Sect Master they've selected has been chosen through a unique process. They don't necessarily pick the one with the highest cultivation, but always the one with the best character."
"That is why every generation of Yuhua Sect Masters has been well-regarded in how they conduct themselves. Even though the Yuhua Sect has had little contact with our Southern Forest since Sect Master Baili's passing, I know that the current Yuhua Sect Master still remembers the pact made by the ancestor," Sikong Zhaixing said.
"In that case, let's trust Sect Master Baili one more time," Chu Feng said with a relieved smile, letting go of his concerns.
The meaning behind his words was clear: the complicated relationship between the Southern Forest and the Yuhua Sect was all part of Sect Master Baili's design. If Chu Feng managed to retrieve the token but the Yuhua Sect reneged on the deal, it would simply mean Sect Master Baili had miscalculated — or at the very least, had chosen the wrong party for the pact.
In truth, however, Chu Feng still had considerable faith in Sect Master Baili. He had a feeling that this Sect Master was someone truly extraordinary — and such people were invariably very capable.